I’ll have to give Les Mis a miss if the audience can’t stop clapping in the middle

The mid-movie ovation is part of an irritating new trend. The peacocking of one’s ability to appreciate culture deeply.

Share

Ten. That’s how many times the audience at the London premiere of Les Misérables burst into applause this week. Ten times, during the film. During the film? Who are these emotionally incontinent, cultural barbarians?

It’s not the first time. The film’s director, Tom Hooper,
revealed that at the first screening in New York, a fortnight ago,
guests clapped “14 to 15 times”. And not only clapped. “For a
minute, I freaked out, wondering, what’s that odd sound on the
soundtrack,” said Hooper. “I looked around and realised it’s the
sound of people crying en masse.”

Right. There is still time to get a grip. Les Mis is not released here for another month but the hype is already getting out of hand. The
film, Hooper's first since The King's Speech, stars Hugh Jackman,
Anne Hathaway and Sacha Baron Cohen among many others. Reviews are
already calling it a masterpiece. Oscars will surely follow. To
judge from the trailers which have been running since, it feels
like, Victor Hugo's time, it is epic, full of rousing choruses and
virtuoso solo turns, designed to make audiences cheer and cry.

Even if one takes into account the fact that many of those
genuflecting at the screenings so far will have been friends of the
cast and crew, the mid-movie ovation is part of an irritating new
trend. The peacocking of one’s ability to appreciate culture
deeply.

Once, heartfelt applause at the curtain and perhaps a genteel
shower of bouquets for a true diva sufficed. Now, standing ovations
have become near-mandatory in the West End. They’re no longer
reserved for the truly extraordinary. People are out of their seats
at the drop of the curtain.

In cinemas, this noisy outpouring makes even less sense. In an
art form which relies entirely on the audience’s ability to lose
itself in what’s happening on screen, it may even detract from the
work. Applauding every time someone hits the high notes, in a movie
musical, is over-excitable to a fault.

Much has been made of the fact that Hooper insisted on filming
his stars singing “live”, but Russell Crowe needed 40 takes to nail one of
his numbers, so “live” is a fluid notion here. Goodness knows what Les Mis fans would do if faced with a real top C, from a
live performer, singing in the same theatre as them. They’d
probably never recover.

* Talking of cinema, the fortunes of my lovely local fleapit, the
Ritzy in Brixton, took a turn this week. The Picturehouse chain,
which includes the Ritzy and 20 other much-loved arthouse cinemas
across the UK, has been bought by Cineworld for £47.3m.

Takeover stories like this always provoke a sinking feeling to
start with. The soulless multiplex shovelling up the sainted indies
like so much cheap popcorn. Alas!

In fact, Picturehouse is hardly a vulnerable, profitless
concern. It is the country's largest independent chain and already
shows a mix of blockbuster and arthouse fare. In a statement, it
promises "business as usual", with no changes to the ethos, pricing
structure or staffing of their cinemas.

If it keeps to its word, this could be a fruitful partnership.
With Cineworld's financial clout behind it, Picturehouse can
expand, with plans to open 10 more cinemas in 2014. But it's what
Picturehouse could do for Cineworld that is even more exciting.

These days viewers want more from their cinema experience than a
car-chase and a vat of Coca Cola. If they take the time to look,
Cineworld will learn valuable lessons from their latest acquisition
– about inventive programming, welcoming venues, quirky community
spirit and knowledgeable staff. And that can only be a good
thing.

Tourists are limp, leaderless and distinctly UnAustralian

Andrew Grice: Inside Westminster

Blairites be warned, this could be the moment Labour turns into Syriza

The mystery of Britain's worst naval disaster is finally solved - 271 years later

Exclusive: David Keys reveals the research that finally explains why HMS Victory went down with the loss of 1,100 lives

'I saw people so injured you couldn't tell if they were dead or alive'

Nagasaki survivors on why Japan must not abandon its post-war pacifism

The voter Obama tried hardest to keep onside

Outgoing The Daily Show host, Jon Stewart, became the voice of Democrats who felt the President had failed to deliver on his ‘Yes We Can’ slogan. Tim Walker charts the ups and downs of their 10-year relationship on screen